Multi-wavelength optical source

1. A multi-wavelength optical source (MWO) comprising:

a broadband optical source providing light that is split into a broadband optical signal, a first excitation signal, and a second excitation signal;

a modification module having a first and second output, optically coupled to receive the broadband optical signal, the modification module splitting the broadband optical signal into a first output signal containing a plurality of frequency slices and a second output signal containing a plurality of frequency slices, separated in frequency from the plurality of frequency slices in the first output signal;

the first excitation signal being guided to a doped fiber that is a waveguide of the first output signal; and

the second excitation signal being guided to a doped fiber that is a waveguide of the second output signal.

2. The MWO of claim 1 wherein at least one of the frequency slices of the first output signal is narrower than a frequency slice of the second output signal.

3. The MWO of claim 2 wherein at least one of the frequency slices of the first output signal is narrower than all of the frequency slices of the second output signal.

4. The MWO of claim 3 wherein each of the frequency slices of the first output signal is narrower than all of the frequency slices of the second output signal.

5. The MWO of claim 1 wherein the first output signal and second output signal comprise substantially all the energy of the broadband optical signal such that adding the first output signal and second output signal would substantially reproduce the broadband optical signal.

6. The MWO of claim 1 wherein the broadband optical source consists essentially of frequency components having wavelengths between 1510 and 1570 nanometers.

7. The MWO of claim 1 wherein the optical source comprises a super luminescent diode.

8. The MWO of claim 1 wherein the optical source comprises an optical fiber based amplified spontaneous emission source.

9. The MWO of claim 1 , wherein the optical source is a pump laser, and wherein the modification module comprises:

an optical splitter having a first and second output and coupled to an optical output of the pump laser;

a first doped fiber coupled to the first output of the splitter;

a first circulator having a first, second and third port, the first port coupled to the first doped fiber;

a second circulator having a first, second and third port, the first port coupled to the second output of the splitter;

a second doped fiber coupled between the third port of the first circulator and the second port of the second circulator;

the third port of the second circulator coupled to the first output; and

a plurality of fiber Bragg gratings optically positioned between the second port of the first circulator and the second output of the MWO.

10. The MWO of claim 9 further comprising a second pump laser having an optical output coupled to the splitter.

11. The MWO of claim 1 further comprising:

a splitter optically coupled to an output of the broadband optical source to split light from the broadband optical source into the broadband optical signal, the first excitation signal, and the second excitation signal;

a first doped fiber optically positioned between the splitter and a first port of a circulator;

a second doped fiber optically coupled to a first wavelength division multiplexer coupler (WDM) where the second splitter is optically coupled to the first WDM such that it receives the second excitation signal;

a plurality of fiber Bragg gratings optically positioned between a second port of the circulator and the second doped fiber; and

a second WDM coupler optically coupled to the splitter, a third port of the circulator, and a second doped fiber.

12. A method of providing a pair of related multi-wavelength signals using one or more broadband sources comprising;

using a pump laser or a super luminescent diode to provide a broadband signal;

using a three port circulator to route the broadband signal into a plurality of Bragg gratings in a manner that causes the Bragg gratings to reflect portions of the broadband signal and to transmit portions of the broadband signal;

routing the reflected portions to a first output as a first output signal;

routing the non-reflected portions to a second output as a second output signal; and

using the pump laser or super luminescent diode to provide a first excitation signal for amplifying the first output signal and to provide a second excitation signal for amplifying the second output signal.